It’s finally o.v.e.r. The longest, coldest, most stubborn winter in recent memory is at last drawing to a close. A March Madness champion has been crowned. Baseball season has begun. Spring is fighting to take hold, and with it, the natural urge for cleaning out, clearing up, airing out. We do it at home and about the yard, why not at work?
After all, spring is about new life… getting things in order… rebirth and renewal. Apply this to your business and you’ll feel that same sense of accomplishment, of pride you do at home. And it will be good for your business too.
Let’s start out with tried-and-true business spring cleaning ideas supplied by Paul Spiegelman a few years back for Entrepreneur. These are still right on the money.
- Get professional help in terms of cleaning out the office space, fixing up the landscaping or doing other small repairs that need attention. Looking neat, tended is important in any business.
- Consider hiring an outside expert to examine your organization and identify clutter, to have an objective eye look at the big picture. You might also want to look at your mission statement to be sure it still applies — things are changing faster all the time.
- Look at your brand colors — do they need a refresh? It might (or maybe not yet) be time to refresh your logo/image for use in new markets or in new approaches. Take a look at this with fresh eyes.
- Look at your people with an eye to seeing if you can use their talents differently to serve both your interests. Reassure people you are not looking to trim payroll but rather to make you all more efficient — this reassurance means everything. Also, see if there are skills sets they might sharpen if you give them the chance.
- Find ways to make your business appealing to the best young grads soon to be on the market.
Add to these some more recent suggestions from Inc. on clearing out the cobwebs that can accumulate in any business. Like people, businesses can do things from habit in business (rather than life) areas such as e-commerce, customer relations or operations. If looking at all these areas at once is overwhelming, pick one and work on that… you’ll be glad you did.
When it comes to your technology, some top notch tips from alirittenhouse cover all the bases. Now’s the time to clean out your computer files, website or social networks. Get rid of apps you haven’t used in months, and while you’re at it, wipe down your smartphone and tablet. Keep all your apps as well as your operating system up to date. Backup everything and set a regular schedule for doing so.
Lots of really smart suggestions, aren’t there? If you’ve got any spring cleaning business tips, feel free to pass them along in the comments. And while you’re at it… get outside and breathe in some of that wonderful, fresh air!
Happy Spring everyone!
